Women are shining

Apropos the editorial ‘Women shortchanged’ (October 17), though female participation in the labour force has been increasing, they still face several hurdles such as conservative patriarchal attitudes, objecting to “go out” for work, pressures to stay home and look after the family 24x7, child care, etc. However, the working women have already proved that they are adept at managing both the house work and a job efficiently, though the same would put enormous pressure on their health.

Societal attitudes have to change and men have to share the house work with women and ensure that working women are not burdened to the extent of ruining their health. On the work front, women have already proved that their quality, and in many instances they have been found to be more efficient managers than men. Employers need to shed their patriarchal attitudes and treat women on a par with men in all respects, including pay and perks.

Kosaraju Chandramouli

Hyderabad

Regional disparities

While women have broken the glass ceiling and emerged as a greater force to reckon with in every sphere of human activity across the globe, they continue to face several social, economic and political impediments on their path to dignified living. It is heartening that the participation rate of women in the workforce in India has increased over the decades, thanks to the slew of initiatives taken by successive governments after the country’s Independence towards the economic, educational and political empowerment of women. However, regional disparities in terms of education, healthcare and employment are glaring, and southern States continue to fare better than their northern counterparts.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan, TN

Plug rich-poor gap

This is with reference to ‘Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat have most super rich people’ (October 17). India is a country with wide disparities, where lakhs of people go to bed hungry and, at the same time, there are people who are soaking in luxuries. Although in many cases the rich have inherited a legacy of wealth/money, there are many who have become millionaires by sheer hard work and intelligence. Instead of discouraging the wealthy from enjoying their wealth, all-round efforts should be made to lessen the gap between the rich and the poor. This can be done by uplifting the poor by creating more job opportunities, all-round economic development, improving medical facilities for the poor and, above all, putting an end to the black money being generated in the economy.

Veena Shenoy

Thane

Resource management

This refers to the well-articulated article, ‘India’s pervasive incompetence problem’ (October 17). By any standard, India is fortunate to have all advantages a country can think of — geographical positioning, weather, mineral and material resources, and human skills. What we have messed up is resources management and planning skills development on a need-based basis.

We produce skilled manpower for “export”, allow our people sleep over unproductive wealth and worry about earning foreign exchange for importing goods and services for our daily sustenance.

The day we decide to take charge of the management of our domestic resources and manage them for our benefit, our present problems will start disappearing.

MG Warrier

Mumbai

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